The One for Legacy Living - Peace and Plenty at Bollingbrook in Upperville, Virginia
- Hunt Country Sotheby's International Realty
- Dec 15, 2025
- 7 min read
There are properties that come to market, and then there are properties that define a landscape. Peace and Plenty at Bollingbrook belongs to the latter category—a 365-acre estate in Upperville that traces its lineage to the very origins of Virginia Hunt Country. Now offered at $11,200,000, this is not simply a residence for sale. It is an invitation to become the steward of nearly three centuries of American history.
Properties like Peace and Plenty represent the soul of this region. They are the reason stone walls still line these roads, why hounds still run across open fields each autumn, and why the Blue Ridge views from Route 50 remain unobstructed by development. This estate, preserved in perpetuity through the Land Trust of Virginia, embodies the conservation ethic that has protected Hunt Country for generations.
A Provenance Like No Other
The story of Peace and Plenty begins in 1731, when Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, granted a 9,600-acre land patent in what would become the heart of the Virginia Piedmont. Lord Fairfax was no absentee landlord—he was the only British peer to make colonial America his permanent home, and his influence on this region cannot be overstated. It was Fairfax who introduced the sport of fox hunting to Virginia's colonial elite, forever shaping the equestrian culture that defines this area today.
From that original patent, 790 acres were carved out in 1809 as a wedding present, and the first structure at Bollingbrook was built—a modest four-room Federal brick house. Twenty-one years later, Robert Bolling transformed the property into something far grander. His 1830 expansion added twenty-one rooms in the ornate Jeffersonian style that had captivated Virginia's architectural imagination. The result was a manor house with approx. 15-foot ceilings, hand-blown glass windows, intricate cornices, Corinthian columns, and a central staircase of considerable presence. The original white oak floors, decorative hardware, and fireplace mantels survive to this day.
Seventeen Original Structures
What makes Peace and Plenty exceptional among historic Virginia estates is the remarkable survival of its original outbuildings. All seventeen structures remain intact:
The Manor House serves as the residence, while the Pool House, Guest Cottage, Gate House, and Hilleary House provide additional accommodations. A Chapel and Schoolhouse speak to the self-sufficient nature of plantation life, as do the Cannery, Scale House, Smokehouse, and Summer Kitchen. The Blacksmith Shop and Wood Shed supported daily operations, while the Overseer's House and Barn Apartment housed those who managed the land. A twelve-stall barn serves equestrian needs, and the Old Silo barn—believed to be the oldest in-ground silo in Virginia—stands as a testament to agricultural innovation.
Together, these structures form a complete picture of plantation-era life rarely seen outside of museum villages.
The Manor House
Entering Peace and Plenty today, one steps into four generous entertaining rooms that set the tone for the entire residence: a Music Room, Living Room, Meeting Room, and Library. These spaces were designed for the kind of gracious hospitality that remains central to Hunt Country culture—hunt breakfasts, charity benefits, and gatherings that can number in the dozens.
The expansive Dining Room can accommodate two dozen guests with ease—a testament to an era when entertaining was both an art and an obligation.
The Primary Suite occupies a position of prominence with an adjoining sitting room that opens onto a deck sunroom and wraparound balcony. The suite's bath leads to a remarkable closet measuring approx. 27 by 18 feet. Two additional bedrooms, each with fireplaces and full baths, complete the sleeping quarters.
A back staircase, full basement, three-car garage, and a mudroom entry to the kitchen with enclosed porch provide the practical infrastructure that makes a property of this scale livable. The kitchen features glass-front cabinetry rising to the ceiling, a professional range beneath a custom stainless hood, and black-and-white hexagonal tile—a space designed for both intimate family meals and large-scale entertaining.
The Grounds and Conservation Legacy
Beyond the manor house, 365 acres of manicured grounds unfold toward the Blue Ridge Mountains. A saltwater pool with a wide lounging ledge is flanked by the Pool House and offers what may be the most spectacular sunset views in Fauquier County. The grounds feature a notable botanical treasure: a 250-year-old Cedar of Lebanon, reportedly the largest specimen in Virginia.
Peace and Plenty is preserved in easement with the Land Trust of Virginia—a designation that ensures this landscape will never be subdivided or developed. For buyers who understand that owning land in Hunt Country means accepting responsibility for its future, this easement is not a restriction but a distinction. Virginia's Land Preservation Tax Credits, the most generous in the nation at forty percent of easement value, reflect the Commonwealth's commitment to protecting properties of this significance.
The estate lies within the territory of the Piedmont Fox Hounds, the oldest organized fox hunt in America. Founded in 1840 by Colonel Richard Henry Dulany at nearby Welbourne, Piedmont Hunt has maintained continuous operations for over 180 seasons. The same Colonel Dulany established the Upperville Colt and Horse Show in 1853—the oldest horse show in the United States—just minutes from Peace and Plenty. To own property in Piedmont territory is to be part of a living tradition that predates the Civil War.
Upperville: The Heart of Hunt Country
Peace and Plenty is located on Delaplane Grade Road in Upperville, a village of fewer than 200 residents that has remained remarkably unchanged since its founding in 1797. While neighboring Middleburg draws weekend visitors to its boutiques and tasting rooms, Upperville maintains the unhurried character of a working agricultural community. The village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with approx. fifty of its seventy-five buildings dating to the nineteenth century.
For those who live here, Upperville offers the essentials of civilized country life without pretension. Hunter's Head Tavern, housed in a restored eighteenth-century building that began as a log cabin around 1750, serves sustainable, humanely raised fare from nearby Ayrshire Farm. It is the Piedmont's only farm-owned gastropub and a gathering place where muddy boots are as welcome as polished brogues. The Market at Bluewater Kitchen provides scratch-made provisions for those evenings when cooking feels like too much after a long day.
The village sits eight miles west of Middleburg and approx. sixty miles from Washington, D.C.—close enough for those who maintain professional lives in the capital, yet far enough to feel genuinely removed from its rhythms. Dulles International Airport is approx. fifty minutes away. Proximity to the Salamander Resort and Spa in Middleburg, the historic Red Fox Inn, and the refined dining of Goodstone Inn and Harrimans ensures that sophisticated amenities remain within reach.
For the Equestrian Buyer
Buyers seeking Peace and Plenty will likely already understand what it means to own property in Piedmont Hunt territory. For those less familiar with Virginia's equestrian landscape, some context may be helpful.
Virginia boasts twenty-five fox hunting clubs—the highest concentration in North America. The Piedmont Fox Hounds, in whose territory this property lies, was established in 1840 and remains the oldest continuously operating hunt in the United States. Formal hunting season runs November through March, with cubbing beginning in October. Membership in a recognized hunt involves not just riding privileges but participation in a community dedicated to land conservation, hound breeding, and the perpetuation of centuries-old traditions.
The Upperville Colt and Horse Show, held annually during the first week of June at nearby Grafton Farm, draws Olympic-caliber riders and nearly two thousand horse-and-rider combinations. It has been named Horse Show of the Year by both the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame and the Virginia Horse Show Association. Competing or simply spectating at this event is a rite of passage for anyone serious about the hunter-jumper world. Grafton Farm also hosts the Loudoun Benefit, Middleburg Classic, Piedmont Jumpers, Jump for Fun, and Zone Finals for the Washington International Horse Show.
Peace and Plenty's twelve-stall barn and multiple outbuildings provide infrastructure for a working equestrian operation, while the acreage offers the space that serious horse people require.
A Legacy Neighborhood
The Upperville and Middleburg area has long attracted those who appreciate both solitude and purpose. Paul Mellon, the philanthropist and legendary thoroughbred breeder, made his home at Rokeby Farm, where he bred Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero. His wife, Rachel Lambert Mellon, created Oak Spring Garden, now preserved as a foundation and open for special events. The Mellons donated the funds to build Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, which remains the center of the village's social and charitable activities.
Ayrshire Farm, located nearby, is a Certified Humane organic operation that supplies Hunter's Head Tavern. The Dulany family, whose patriarch founded both the Piedmont Hunt and the Upperville Horse Show, still owns historic Welbourne. This is a community where conservation is not an abstract principle but a lived commitment, where neighbors understand that protecting open land benefits everyone who rides, farms, or simply appreciates an unbroken horizon.
Property Details
Address: 1610 Delaplane Grade Road, Upperville, VA 20184
Offered At: $11,200,000
Acreage: 365 acres, preserved in easement
Manor House: Approx. 8,613 sq. ft.
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3 full, 1 half
Year Built: 1809, expanded 1830
Structures: 17 original buildings
Hunt Territory: Piedmont Fox Hounds
Conservation: Land Trust of Virginia easement
MLS: VAFQ2019532
Inquiries
Properties like Peace and Plenty at Bollingbrook do not come to market often. When they do, they find their way to buyers who understand that ownership of such an estate is as much about responsibility as it is about distinction—responsibility to the land, to the community that has protected it, and to the traditions that give this region its character.
For those ready to explore what it means to steward this remarkable property, Susan Hensley welcomes inquiries.
Susan Hensley, REALTOR®
Hunt Country Sotheby's International Realty
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